Crosslinkers from biorenewable resveratrol

ABSTRACT

A process includes utilizing biorenewable resveratrol or a resveratrol-derived material as a bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/417,465, filed on Jan. 27, 2017.

BACKGROUND

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is among the most widely used silicon-based polymers, and the most widely used organic silicon-based polymer. PDMS materials have a wide range of applications including contact lenses, medical devices, soft lithography processes, shampoos, caulking, and lubricants (among other alternatives). One reason for the wide-ranging applications for PDMS materials is the variety of ways in which the properties of PDMS may be controlled through polymer crosslinking. By employing PDMS and small organic molecules with different organic functional groups, many possibilities exist for different PDMS materials to be crosslinked in different ways.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment, a process comprises utilizing biorenewable resveratrol or a resveratrol-derived material as a bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material.

According to another embodiment, a crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material is disclosed. The crosslinked PDMS material is formed by a process that comprises chemically reacting a functionalized PDMS material with biorenewable resveratrol.

According to another embodiment, a crosslinked PDMS material is disclosed. The crosslinked PDMS material is formed by a process that comprises chemically reacting a functionalized PDMS material with a bio-derived crosslinker that is formed from biorenewable resveratrol.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally represent like parts of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material using a first bio-derived crosslinking material that is formed from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material using a second bio-derived crosslinking material that is formed from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material using the second bio-derived crosslinking material of FIG. 4, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material using a third bio-derived crosslinking material that is formed from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material using a fourth bio-derived crosslinking material that is formed from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of forming a crosslinked PDMS material using a fifth bio-derived crosslinking material that is formed from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating a process of utilizing the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of the present disclosure to form a bio-derived crosslinked material via a reversible dimerization reaction, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are chemical reaction diagrams illustrating that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 may be utilized to form bio-derived crosslinked materials with disulfide linkages, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are chemical reaction diagrams illustrating that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 may be undergo a dimerization reaction and subsequent oxidation to form bio-derived crosslinked materials with disulfide linkages, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes crosslinkers derived from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) and methods of forming bio-derived crosslinkers from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol. The biorenewable molecule resveratrol may be extracted from plants, where it is produced in response to injury or when the plant is under attack by pathogens such as bacteria or fungi. In some cases, the biorenewable molecule resveratrol may be utilized as a bio-derived crosslinking material. In other cases, resveratrol may undergo one or more chemical reactions (e.g., with other biorenewable materials) to form alternative bio-derived crosslinking materials. Utilizing biorenewable resveratrol (or derivatives thereof) as a crosslinking material may increase the biorenewable content of a crosslinked polymeric material, such as a crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material, for use in various applications.

The bio-derived crosslinkers of the present disclosure may be applied to PDMS (or other polymers) for different applications. Examples of alternative polymers include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PU), or acrylics, among other alternatives. In some cases, curing may be performed during processing of a desired material, with a completely crosslinked polymer. In other cases, the crosslinkers may be mixed with PDMS but left in a partial or uncrosslinked state that can be left to crosslink upon addition to the PDMS for a particular desired application (e.g., a caulking or coating application, among other alternatives).

Referring to FIG. 1, a chemical reaction diagram 100 illustrates a process of utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol as a crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material, according to one embodiment. In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, resveratrol (which may be derived from plants) is utilized as a crosslinker to form a crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material (designated as “Crosslinked PDMS Material(1)” in FIG. 1). The crosslinked PDMS material illustrated in FIG. 1 may be formed via a chemical reaction (e.g., a condensation cure reaction) of the biorenewable resveratrol and a PDMS polymer.

FIG. 1 illustrates that resveratrol may be utilized as a bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material. FIG. 1 illustrates a particular embodiment of a condensation cure reaction that utilizes dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) as a catalyst. FIG. 1 depicts an example in which all three hydroxyl groups of the resveratrol molecule react in the condensation cure reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three hydroxyl groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three hydroxyl groups may be used for crosslinking. To illustrate, by controlling the reaction conditions, catalyst type (other tin or platinum catalyst may be used), catalyst loading, and stoichiometry, a fraction of the hydroxyl groups (e.g., less than three hydroxyl groups per resveratrol molecule, on average) can be used for PDMS crosslinking. The ability to control the number of hydroxyl groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

As a prophetic example, a hydride-functionalized siloxane may be blended with resveratrol (about 1-20% w/w) and catalyst (DBDTL in this case, 0.1%-2.0% w/w) and mixed. The mixture may be applied to molds or coated onto a substrate and cured for times and temperatures that are appropriate for the desired applications.

Thus, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a process of utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol as a crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material. Utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol as a crosslinker may increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 2, a chemical reaction diagram 200 illustrates a process of utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol to form a crosslinked polymeric material, according to one embodiment. In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the biorenewable molecule resveratrol is used to form a crosslinked PDMS material (designated as “Crosslinked PDMS Material(2)” in FIG. 2). The crosslinked PDMS material illustrated in FIG. 2 may be formed via a chemical reaction (e.g., a condensation cure reaction) of the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and an alkoxy-functionalized siloxane, such as a methoxy-functionalized siloxane.

FIG. 2 illustrates a particular embodiment of a condensation cure reaction that utilizes DBTDL as a catalyst. As a prophetic example, an alkoxy-functionalized siloxane (e.g., a methoxy-functionalized siloxane) may be blended with resveratrol (about 1-20% w/w) and catalyst (DBDTL in this case, 0.1%-2.0% w/w) and mixed. The mixture may be applied to molds or coated onto a substrate and cured for times and temperatures that are appropriate for the desired applications.

FIG. 2 depicts an example in which all three hydroxyl groups of the biorenewable resveratrol molecule react in the condensation cure reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three hydroxyl groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three hydroxyl groups may be used for crosslinking. To illustrate, by controlling the reaction conditions, catalyst type (other tin or platinum catalyst may be used), catalyst loading, and stoichiometry, a fraction of the hydroxyl groups (e.g., less than three hydroxyl groups per resveratrol molecule, on average) can be used for PDMS crosslinking. The ability to control the number of hydroxyl groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a process of utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol to form a crosslinked polymeric material. Utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol as a crosslinker may increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

FIGS. 3 to 8 illustrate examples of resveratrol-derived crosslinkers that may be formed from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol. While FIGS. 3-8 illustrate that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers may be utilized to form crosslinked PDMS materials, it will be appreciated that the resveratrol-derived materials may be utilized in alternative reactions. For example, FIG. 9 illustrates that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of the present disclosure may be utilized to form alternative bio-derived crosslinked materials via a dimerization reaction, enabling the degree of crosslinking to be further increased/decreased due to the ring opening/cyclobutane formation. As another example, FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 (that include multiple thiol/mercapto groups) may form alternative bio-derived crosslinked materials via an oxidation reaction that results in the formation of disulfide linkages. As yet another example, FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 (that include multiple thiol/mercapto groups) may undergo a dimerization reaction, followed by an oxidation reaction that results in the formation of disulfide linkages.

Referring to FIG. 3, a chemical reaction diagram 300 illustrates a particular embodiment of a process of utilizing the biorenewable molecule resveratrol to form a resveratrol-derived crosslinker (identified as “Resveratrol-Derived Crosslinker(1)” in FIG. 3) that includes multiple vinyl groups. FIG. 3 further illustrates that the resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material), according to one embodiment.

The first chemical reaction depicted at the top of FIG. 3 illustrates that the resveratrol molecule may be reacted with acrylic acid via acid- (or base-) catalyzed condensation reaction to form a crosslinker with multiple vinyl groups. Alternatively, acryloyl chloride may be formed from the acrylic acid, and may be used in place of acrylic acid along with an amine which may be pyridine or triethylamine. The acrylic acid may be formed from biorenewable resource(s).

As a prophetic example, resveratrol (1 equiv.), acrylic acid (4.5-5.0 equiv.), catalytic p-toluenesulfonic acid (or other catalysts such as sulfonic acids, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrogen sulfates, dihydrogen phosphates, phosphonic acid esters, or dialkyl tin dioxides) or a Lewis base such as dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), and a suitable amount of toluene (or other water-azeotrope forming solvents) may be added to a reaction vessel and heated under azeotropic distillation conditions (e.g., refluxing using a Dean-Stark apparatus) until water is no longer removed from the reaction. The mixture may be cooled to room temperature, and the organic layer may be separated, rinsed with water, dried, and purified.

The second chemical reaction depicted at the bottom of FIG. 3 illustrates that the resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material. FIG. 3 illustrates a particular embodiment of an addition reaction that utilizes a platinum (Pt) catalyst. As a prophetic example, a hydride-functionalized siloxane may be blended with the first resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups (1-20% w/w) and Pt catalyst, such as Speier's catalyst (H₂PtCl₆) or Karstedt's catalyst (C₂₄H₅₄O₃Pt₂Si₆), and are then mixed. An addition cure reaction via hydrosilation may be performed on the mixture.

FIG. 3 depicts an example in which all three vinyl groups of the resveratrol-derived crosslinker react in the addition reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three vinyl groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three vinyl groups may be used for crosslinking. To illustrate, by controlling the reaction conditions, catalyst type (other tin or platinum catalyst may be used), catalyst loading, and stoichiometry, a fraction of the vinyl groups can be used for PDMS crosslinking. The ability to control the number of vinyl groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a process of forming a bio-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and utilizing the resveratrol-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material. The resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be used to increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 4, a chemical reaction diagram 400 illustrates a particular embodiment of a process of utilizing the biorenewable resveratrol molecule to form a second resveratrol-derived crosslinker (identified as “Resveratrol-Derived Crosslinker(2)” in FIG. 4) that includes multiple vinyl groups. FIG. 4 further illustrates that the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material), according to one embodiment.

The first chemical reaction depicted at the top of FIG. 4 illustrates that the biorenewable resveratrol molecule may be reacted with allyl bromide via a substitution reaction to form a crosslinker with multiple vinyl groups (that is different from the resveratrol-derived crosslinker with multiple vinyl groups shown in FIG. 3). In some cases, the allyl bromide may be synthesized in one step from a biorenewable allyl alcohol.

As a prophetic example, resveratrol may be added to a suspension or solution of a base (e.g., sodium hydride) in an organic solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) or diethyl ether, at 0° C. The reaction mixture may be stirred for 30 minutes before adding allyl bromide (>3 equiv.), dropwise. The reaction mixture may be stirred for approximately 3 hours and then neutralized by hydrochloric (HCl) acid. The aqueous and organic layers may then be separated. The aqueous layer may be extracted with diethyl ether and rinsed with brine. The organic layer may be dried over magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) and the solvent may be removed in vacuo. The residue is purified by distillation or column chromatography.

The second chemical reaction depicted at the bottom of FIG. 4 illustrates that the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material. FIG. 4 illustrates a particular embodiment of an addition reaction that utilizes a platinum (Pt) catalyst. As a prophetic example, a hydride-functionalized siloxane may be blended with the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups (1-20% w/w) and Pt catalyst, such as Speier's catalyst (H₂PtCl₆) or Karstedt's catalyst (C₂₄H₅₄O3Pt₂Si₆), and are then mixed. An addition cure reaction via hydrosilation may be performed on the mixture.

FIG. 4 depicts an example in which all three vinyl groups of the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker react in the addition reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three vinyl groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three vinyl groups may be used for crosslinking. To illustrate, by controlling the reaction conditions, catalyst type (other tin or platinum catalyst may be used), catalyst loading, and stoichiometry, a fraction of the vinyl groups can be used for PDMS crosslinking. The ability to control the number of vinyl groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a process of forming a resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and utilizing the resveratrol-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material via an addition reaction. The resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be used to increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 5, a chemical reaction diagram 500 illustrates a particular embodiment of a process of utilizing the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups of FIG. 4 to form a crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material) via a peroxide cure reaction.

The second chemical reaction depicted at the bottom of FIG. 5 illustrates that the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a radical cure reaction using a peroxide initiator. As a prophetic example, a Si—CH₃ functional siloxane may be blended with the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups (1-20% w/w) and catalyst (e.g., benzoyl peroxide, 0.2%-1.0% w/w) and mixed. The mixture may be applied to molds or coated onto a substrate and cured for times and temperatures (e.g., 140-160° C., with a post cure of 25-30° C. higher than the initial reaction temperature to remove volatile peroxides) that are appropriate for the desired applications.

FIG. 5 depicts an example in which all three vinyl groups of the second resveratrol-derived crosslinker react in the peroxide cure reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three vinyl groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three vinyl groups may be used for crosslinking. To illustrate, by controlling the reaction conditions, catalyst type, catalyst loading, and stoichiometry, a fraction of the vinyl groups can be used for PDMS crosslinking. The ability to control the number of vinyl groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a process of forming a bio-derived crosslinker having multiple vinyl groups from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and utilizing the bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a peroxide cure reaction. The bio-derived crosslinker may be used to increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 6, a chemical reaction diagram 600 illustrates a particular embodiment of a process of utilizing the biorenewable resveratrol molecule to form a third resveratrol-derived crosslinker (identified as “Resveratrol-Derived Crosslinker(3)” in FIG. 6) that includes multiple acetate groups. FIG. 6 further illustrates that the resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material), according to one embodiment.

The first chemical reaction depicted at the top of FIG. 6 illustrates that the biorenewable resveratrol molecule may be reacted with acetic acid or acetic anhydride via an acylation reaction to form a crosslinker that includes multiple acetate groups. Alternatively, acetyl chloride may be formed from the acetic acid or purchased from a commercial source, and may be used in place of acetic acid along with an amine which may be pyridine or triethylamine. The acetic acid may be obtained from renewable sources, and acetic anhydride can be synthesized from acetic acid.

As a prophetic example, resveratrol (1 equiv.), acetic acid (4.5-5.0 equiv.), catalytic p-toluenesulfonic acid (or other catalysts such as sulfonic acids, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrogen sulfates, dihydrogen phosphates, phosphonic acid esters, or dialkyl tin dioxides) or a Lewis base such as dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), and a suitable amount of toluene (or other water-azeotrope forming solvents) may be added to a reaction vessel and heated under azeotropic distillation conditions (e.g., refluxing using a Dean-Stark apparatus) until water is no longer removed from the reaction. The mixture may be cooled to room temperature, and the organic layer may be separated, rinsed with water, dried, and purified.

The second chemical reaction depicted at the bottom of FIG. 6 illustrates that the third resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple acetate groups may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a condensation cure reaction. As a prophetic example, a hydroxy-functionalized siloxane may be mixed with the third resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple acetate groups (1-50% w/w) and blended with exclusion of moisture. The blended mixture may be stored under moisture-free conditions. The blended mixture may be applied to surfaces and materials and allowed to cure under atmospheric conditions.

FIG. 6 depicts an example in which all three acetate groups of the third resveratrol-derived crosslinker react in the addition reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three acetate groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three acetate groups may be used for crosslinking. The ability to control the number of acetate groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a process of forming a bio-derived crosslinker having multiple acetate groups from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and utilizing the bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a condensation cure reaction. The bio-derived crosslinker may be used to increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 7, a chemical reaction diagram 700 illustrates a particular embodiment of a process of utilizing the biorenewable resveratrol molecule to form a fourth resveratrol-derived crosslinker (identified as “Resveratrol-Derived Crosslinker(4)” in FIG. 7) that includes multiple thiol (or mercapto) groups. FIG. 7 further illustrates that the resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material), according to one embodiment.

The first chemical reaction depicted at the top of FIG. 7 illustrates that the biorenewable resveratrol molecule may be reacted with ethyl mercaptoacetic acid via a condensation reaction (acid/base promoted) to synthesize a crosslinker with multiple thiol (or mercapato) groups. The ethyl mercaptoacetic acid may be synthesized from biorenewable acrylic acid via subsequent halogenation and substitution reactions.

As a prophetic example, resveratrol (1 equiv.), 3-mercaptopropionic acid (4.5-5.0 equiv.), catalytic p-toluenesulfonic acid (or other catalysts such as sulfonic acids, triflic acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrogen sulfates, dihydrogen phosphates, phosphonic acid esters, or dialkyl tin dioxides) or a Lewis base such as dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), or triphenylphosphine, and a suitable amount of toluene (or other water-azeotrope forming solvents) may be added to a reaction vessel and heated under azeotropic distillation conditions (e.g., refluxing using a Dean-Stark apparatus) until water is no longer removed from the reaction. The mixture may be cooled to room temperature, and the organic layer may be separated, rinsed with water, dried, and purified.

The second chemical reaction depicted at the bottom of FIG. 7 illustrates that the fourth resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a thiol-ene cure reaction. As a prophetic example, the fourth resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple thiol groups (2-6% w/w) may be mixed with a vinyl-functionalized siloxane. The mixture may include a radical initiator, such as a Micheler's ketone, an alpha-amino-ketone, an alpha-hydroxy-ketone, a benzyldimethyl ketal, or benzophenone (among other alternatives). The mixture may be applied to molds or coated onto a substrate and cured under UV light at a time and temperature suitable to the included radical initiators that are appropriate for the desired applications.

FIG. 7 depicts an example in which all three thiol groups of the fourth resveratrol-derived crosslinker react in the thiol-ene cure reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three thiol groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three thiol groups may be used for crosslinking. The ability to control the number of thiol groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a process of forming a bio-derived crosslinker having multiple thiol (or mercapto) groups from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and utilizing the bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a thiol-ene cure reaction. The bio-derived crosslinker may be used to increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 8, a chemical reaction diagram 800 illustrates a particular embodiment of a process of utilizing the biorenewable resveratrol molecule to form a fifth resveratrol-derived crosslinker (identified as “Resveratrol-Derived Crosslinker(5)” in FIG. 8) that includes multiple thiol (or mercapto) groups. FIG. 8 further illustrates that the bio-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material), according to one embodiment.

The first chemical reaction depicted at the top of FIG. 8 illustrates that the biorenewable resveratrol molecule may be utilized to form a crosslinker with multiple thiol (or mercapto) groups via a multiple step reaction that includes the use of an acetate protected thiol bromopropane (commercially available) and substitution chemistry, then removing the protecting group. As a prophetic example, resveratrol may be added to a suspension or solution of a base (e.g., sodium hydride) in an organic solvent, such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), diethyl ether, or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) at 0° C. The reaction mixture may be stirred for 30 minutes before adding S-(3-bromopropyl)ethanethioic acid ester (>3 equiv.), dropwise. The reaction mixture may be stirred for approximately 3 hours, and then neutralized by hydrochloric (HCl) acid. The aqueous and organic layers may then be separated. The aqueous layer may be extracted with diethyl ether, and rinsed with brine. The organic layer may be dried over magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄), and the solvent may be removed in vacuo. The residue may be purified by distillation or column chromatography. The resultant product may be dissolved in DCM at 0° C. and an acid such as trifluoroacetic acid may be added, dropwise. The reaction may be stirred for 3 hours at room temperature, and poured into water. The aqueous and organic layers may then be separated. The aqueous layer may then be extracted with diethyl ether, and rinsed with brine. The organic layer may be dried over magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄), and the solvent may be removed in vacuo. The residue is purified by distillation or column chromatography.

The second chemical reaction depicted at the bottom of FIG. 8 illustrates that the fifth resveratrol-derived crosslinker may be utilized to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a thiol-ene cure reaction. As a prophetic example, the fifth resveratrol-derived crosslinker having multiple thiol groups (2-6% w/w) may be mixed with a vinyl-functionalized siloxane. The mixture may include a radical initiator, such as a Micheler's ketone, an alpha-amino-ketone, an alpha-hydroxy-ketone, a benzyldimethyl ketal, or benzophenone (among other alternatives). The mixture may be applied to molds or coated onto a substrate and cured under UV light at a time and temperature suitable to the included radical initiators that are appropriate for the desired applications.

FIG. 8 depicts an example in which all three thiol groups of the fifth resveratrol-derived crosslinker react in the thiol-ene cure reaction. Depending on the reaction conditions, all three thiol groups may be used to crosslink the PDMS polymer or less than three thiol groups may be used for crosslinking. The ability to control the number of thiol groups that react may enable better control of the mechanical properties of the final polymer.

Thus, FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a process of forming a bio-derived crosslinker having multiple thiol (or mercapto) groups from the biorenewable molecule resveratrol and utilizing the bio-derived crosslinker to form a crosslinked polymeric material via a thiol-ene cure reaction. The bio-derived crosslinker may be used to increase the biorenewable content of a resulting crosslinked polymeric material (e.g., a crosslinked PDMS material).

Referring to FIG. 9, a chemical reaction diagram 900 illustrates that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of the present disclosure may undergo a dimerization reaction to form a bio-derived crosslinked material, according to one embodiment. FIG. 9 illustrates that the dimerization reaction results in formation of a cyclobutane ring. FIG. 9 further illustrates that the dimerization reaction is a reversible reaction. To illustrate, the dimerization reaction may result from exposure to light having a wavelength of greater than 300 nm, while exposure to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of less than 260 nm may result in a retro-dimerization reaction. It will be appreciated that FIG. 9 depicts selected portions of the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers and the bio-derived crosslinked material for ease of illustration purposes only. In some cases, each of the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers depicted in FIG. 9 may correspond to one of the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers depicted in FIGS. 3-8. In other cases, the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers depicted in FIG. 9 may include various combinations of the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers depicted in FIGS. 3-8. Further, in some cases, the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers depicted in FIG. 9 may include a combination of resveratrol and one or more of the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers depicted in FIGS. 3-8.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are chemical reaction diagrams 1000, 1100 illustrating that the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 (that include multiple thiol/mercapto groups) may be joined together to form a polymeric network of disulfide bonds, according to one embodiment. In the examples depicted in FIGS. 10 and 11, the resveratrol-derived crosslinkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 may undergo an oxidation-reduction reaction to form multiple disulfide linkages.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are chemical reaction diagrams 1200, 1300 illustrating that the resveratrol-derived cross-linkers of FIGS. 7 and 8 may be undergo a dimerization reaction and subsequent oxidation to form bio-derived crosslinked materials with disulfide linkages, according to one embodiment.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modifications and changes may be made in various embodiments of the present invention without departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in this specification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the language of the following claims. 

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A process comprising utilizing a resveratrol-derived crosslinker to form a bio-derived crosslinked material including a cyclobutane ring formed via a dimerization reaction.
 22. The process of claim 21, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker has the following chemical structure:


23. The process of claim 21, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker has the following chemical structure:


24. The process of claim 21, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker has the following chemical structure:


25. The process of claim 21, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker has the following chemical structure:


26. The process of claim 21, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker has the following chemical structure:


27. The process of claim 21, wherein the dimerization reaction results from exposure to ultraviolet light having a wavelength greater than 300 nm.
 28. A process comprising: utilizing a resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups to form a bio-derived crosslinked material including a cyclobutane ring formed via a dimerization reaction; and initiating an oxidation reaction to form a crosslinked polymeric material that includes a polymeric network of disulfide linkages.
 29. The process of claim 28, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups has the following chemical structure:


30. The process of claim 29, wherein the bio-derived crosslinked material including the cyclobutane ring has the following chemical structure:


31. The process of claim 28, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups has the following chemical structure:


32. The process of claim 31, wherein the bio-derived crosslinked material including the cyclobutane ring has the following chemical structure:


33. The process of claim 28, wherein the dimerization reaction results from exposure to ultraviolet light having a wavelength greater than 300 nm.
 34. A crosslinked polymeric material including a polymeric network of disulfide linkages, the crosslinked polymeric material formed via an oxidation reaction of a resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups and a cyclobutane ring.
 35. The crosslinked polymeric material of claim 34, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups and the cyclobutane ring has the following chemical structure:


36. The crosslinked polymeric material of claim 35, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups and the cyclobutane ring is formed via a dimerization reaction of a resveratrol-derived molecule having the following chemical structure:


37. The crosslinked polymeric material of claim 36, wherein the dimerization reaction results from exposure to ultraviolet light having a wavelength greater than 300 nm.
 38. The crosslinked polymeric material of claim 34, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups and the cyclobutane ring has the following chemical structure:


39. The crosslinked polymeric material of claim 38, wherein the resveratrol-derived crosslinker that includes multiple thiol groups and the cyclobutane ring is formed via a dimerization reaction of a resveratrol-derived molecule having the following chemical structure:


40. The crosslinked polymeric material of claim 39, wherein the dimerization reaction results from exposure to ultraviolet light having a wavelength greater than 300 nm. 